Ashley Blaine Featherson – Dear White People

By: Kelly Kearney

Q) “Dear White People” is about to make the leap from film to television and you will be returning, but as a new character, Joelle Brooks. Tell the fans and possible new fans, a little bit about the series version of “Dear White People” and how Joelle fits in.

Ashley: Yeah, that’s the thing that people are confused about. I’m not returning as a new character; she is the same character we just get to know her a lot better. I’m still playing the best friend to Samantha White, (Logan Browning’s character). It’s just now you know her real name and she’s a much bigger part of their world. So, it is the same character, we just know more about her. As for the series “Dear White People,” it picks up in the aftermath of the black face party, which you see in the movie. The show is so amazing because we have ten, half-hour episodes to explore this world and these characters and really delve into what’s happening at this college in, what some might consider a post racial society. But really, what is a post racial society, right? What’s cool about the show is it’s still satirical in nature but is so, so funny. What I like about doing the TV show, versus doing the movie, is we really get to delve into the relationships and how people are living their lives in college and how they deal with racism, colorism and identity. All those things we have a lot of time to explore with the characters so I’m really excited about all that. I’m really excited to realize, or should I say, imagine more of the dimensions of all our characters because they are all super layered and really important images right now for people to see.

Q) When the show’s trailer came out, it received a backlash from a certain group of people in America who claimed it was racist. Can you talk a little bit about the backlash, the true meaning behind the trailer and the morale of the cast and crew after the backlash?

Ashley: What’s interesting about that is, that wasn’t even the trailer it was the date announcement so people haven’t even seen the trailer for the show yet. That’s the funny part, nobody’s seen it yet. So, people went crazy over technically a date announcement, which makes it all the more crazy. It was shocking…It was shocking that people were so outraged simply by a young black woman saying, “Please don’t wear me as a Halloween costume. I’m not to be made fun of.” I think it’s indicative of where we are now as a society. It interesting because we received even more backlash on this than we did for the movie and trailers for the film. I think particularly it’s because of our current climate and what’s happening in our society right now. It’s interesting because “Dear White People,” this whole world, is about racial tensions at a predominately white university and I almost think that’s kind of what America is going through. We are dealing with these racial tensions that nobody is really talking about. It is racially tense in America right now, no matter if your black, white, Latino, Asian – it doesn’t matter what you are, there are racial tensions. It was shocking, a lot of us had a lot of trolls in our social media pages. Justin [Simien] was berated and talked about so poorly. The things people were saying to him was shocking and people took it too far. What shocked me the most, Kelly, is that Justin was telling the truth! None of this was an exaggeration, none of this was made up. This black face party was inspired by true events that happened on many campuses across the country. This wasn’t constructed in his mind and I realized that this is plain and simple ignorance. So, these people that are upset about the trailer or date announcement, that are calling this show racist, aren’t aware enough or have done the research to see Justin didn’t make any of this up. These are all true things that have happened. They are all based on true events.

Q) Fans of the film will no doubt be checking this show out, but tell the people who are new to “Dear White People,” why they should watch this show and what sets it apart from others?

Ashley: What’s unique about “Dear White People” is it’s a show spanning across the human experience and it has such diverse and interesting and intricate characters. I think there is somebody on the show that everybody will be able to relate to. I think what sets our show apart is the particular climate that we’re living in, literally the day and age which we are currently living in. People are kind of reverting back to almost how it was in the sixties, with protests and marches and banding together and being open and exercising their right to free speech.  All those things, those are the same things we are doing on the show “Dear White People.” I think it will be a place where people can escape and watch something that they can relate to and where they can feel understood. I think it will be an extremely cathartic experience to watch because for me, it was a cathartic experience to film.

Q) What’s something you learned while going through the process of making this show that you will carry with you to other projects?

Ashley: Hmm…do you mean as an actor? Hmm…I learned a few things. I really loved being a part of an ensemble show. “Dear White People” is the epitome of an ensemble. This is a show of many different characters and many different stories and we are all intertwined and all our stories are integral to all the other ones. That creates such a fun and collaborative work experience that I really cherished and was important to me. It creates this real family energy on set and I just really, really, loved that. I also learned that trusting your director is so important. I am so grateful that we had a writer, creator and director like Justin, who I’ve known for years, but is someone I can really trust. I can go on set and know he has my back. As an actor, it’s not always easy and there is a lot of preparation that goes into this. We have to be vulnerable. That’s what our job is. So, to work with such an amazing director, writing team and such a great show runner I realize how important that comfortability is to an actor on set. I also learned it’s so important to tell everyone’s story. For instance, a common misperception with “Dear White People” is that it’s just telling a story from a black person’s perspective and it’s not. It’s a very diverse show and it’s just as important for everyone’s stories to be told. So, we have stories being told from the view of black women, black men, white women and white men, a Kenyan exchange student, Asian students, all sorts of views on this show. I think that’s what bothers me the most about people’s misconception about “Dear White People” and their lack of research is that they think its angry black people, yelling at white people about why they shouldn’t be racist and that literally is the complete opposite of what our show is about.

Q) With all the platforms, we have for television what made Netflix the right choice for this show?

Ashley: Oh my God, I absolutely love my Netflix and Lionsgate family! So, the wonderful thing with our show is, we were able to go there. I don’t know how else to describe it but we were uncensored. We could be unapologetically the show we wanted to be. We could be fully realized and flushed out characters. We could be truly authentic and I think that was because it was Netflix, a streaming service. We were not on a network where we are beholden to ratings or we couldn’t say certain words or we couldn’t do certain scenes. We didn’t have the same kinds of boundaries or confines that network shows have and I am very grateful for that. Netflix is the best place possible for this show because it can be streamed. “Dear White People” is a show people will want to sit down and binge watch it and then get together to talk about it. I think it’s the kind of show where you can wake up, watch all ten episodes and still go to brunch with your friends. So, because our show is supposed to evoke conversations and spark thoughts in people’s minds and hearts, streaming it instead of waiting a week for the next episode you’re able to immediately start the conversation.

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching “Dear White People?”

Ashley: I hope that viewers take the time to finish the show. I think if you start, you have to finish it because we are really going somewhere. Prayers for Season Two because we really have so much more to tell. I hope, after they finish it, they walk away with more empathy and understanding and less ignorance. I think that’s really part of the problem, with all the tensions and frustrations that people have in this country, is that they feel a lack of empathy for others. Like all those people, these trolls that are so mean and rude to us and saying such terrible things, the reason they could say those things is that they lack an understanding or knowledge of what’s really going on. They don’t care to have empathy towards someone else and that is what our show is about. It’s about educating yourself and finding empathy and compassion in others and what they’re going through because my human experience, I know is 1000% different than yours. What makes us able to go through life as happy and inspired human beings is empathy and I want to know who you are, Kelly, because you are different than me. That’s why I want to know you because I want to know another experience than my own. So, I hope that is what people take away from watching the show.

Q) You are an actress, producer and entrepreneur. How do you make room in your schedule for downtime?

Ashely: I am busy! Oh my goodness, I am a hardcore planner. I’m the person that writes a to-do list every day and I’m really organized. I have to schedule it in and I am really good at balancing my time and all that. You have to make time for the things and people you want to make time for. So, my friends and family hours are really important to me.

Q) You are quite visible on social media, what’s it like having that instant fan feedback?

Ashley: You know what? I’ve been so grateful that I don’t have really crazy mean people on my social media. I have really been blessed that I haven’t had to experience what Justin has experienced. Now, I don’t know if that will change once the show comes out. That could be an entirely different experience, but thus far, people have been very kind. The negatives can be, at times you come across people whose sole purpose is to hurt you. The pros of social media are the people you can reach and inspire and motivate so for me the pros will always outweigh the cons. You know the thing about the trolls and the people who are so mean, they don’t penetrate with me because I know it has nothing to do with me. All I can do is pray for them and hope that they find ways to be more productive and kind with their time, but I can’t take that on. I don’t even know how to process people who do things like that. I think if you use it for good, it can change people’s lives and it changed my life in many ways. It has inspired me and lit a fire under me and I am very grateful for it.

Q) What’s your advice for young women trying to get into the business? Something you wish somebody would’ve told you?

Ashley: One of the main pieces of advice I would give is be easy on yourself. In the beginning of my career, and I’m still like this although I’ve lessened up a bit, I put so much pressure on myself. I gave myself time limits and constraints and this business is so unpredictable, there’s no blueprint for it. If you were to be a lawyer, you go to school, you major in something like political science and you go to law school. Maybe you get published somewhere and pass the bar exam and BOOM you are a lawyer. That’s how you do it and there isn’t an alternative way to do it. There’s no secret to doing it. With acting, there isn’t a blueprint to success like that. So, in doing anything that doesn’t have a blueprint or guideline to it, you can’t put stress on yourself. You can’t put stress on yourself to accomplish something that there isn’t a clear-cut blueprint or path to obtain. It is pointless, literally pointless, it will just give you stress and strife as I like to call it. That’s what I would say, be open to things that will happen, that will surprise you but might come later than you thought. Just know that no matter how late, that’s the correct timing for your career. A career that has no set path or rules on how to get there. I am grateful that I got “Dear White People” now and not when I first moved out here because I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate it. I worked really hard for this and now I’m in a place both emotionally and intellectually where I can really portray this character to the best of my abilities so that it can penetrate somebody else. I realize that now that I am older and wiser and been in the business for a while, but I will say relax and always do the work and work hard because it will always pay off. You have to make sure this is your purpose and not just your passion because you cannot sustain yourself in this business with this just being your passion, it’s not enough. It’s too hard and so much heart ache and disappointment. It’s why I’ve lasted, it’s not only my passion but it’s my purpose, I don’t have another option. It’s what I’m supposed to do.

Q) You’ve played all kinds of characters from guest spots on the hit show “Glee” to your own web series “Hello Cupid.” What would you say is your ultimate dream character to play?

Ashley: I would love to star in a fabulous musical film like Dreamgirls or La La Land. That is my dream role. A movie where I am singing and dancing and telling a story. I love that because that’s who I am I went to school for musical theater that’s what I want to do. Another dream role would be, I just love the role of Nina in Love Jones. That is just a great character and I love that film.

Q) Besides “Dear White People” coming to Netflix this April, do you have any other projects on the horizon that the fans should look out for?

Ashley: Right now I am so busy with meetings and all sorts of different things so I can’t tell you exactly what I am working on now but I can say, there are some great things on the horizon. I’ll tell you this, its going to be a very busy 2017. You will be seeing a lot more of me this upcoming year.